Less than one week into the 2021-22 session, COVID-19 had forced the quarantine of 140 students, teachers and staff in Tallahatchie County schools, according to mandatory school district reports filed with the Mississippi State Department of Health.
For the week of Aug. 9-13, a combined 134 students, plus six teachers and/or other staff, were quarantined in the East Tallahatchie and West Tallahatchie school districts due to COVID-19 exposure.
Charleston-area schools accounted for all but eight of the quarantine numbers:
» Charleston Middle School, which reported 1-5 new COVID-19 positive students last week, had placed 80 students and two teachers/staff under quarantine.
» Charleston High School, which noted 1-5 students had tested positive for the virus last week, reported 36 students under quarantine.
» Charleston Elementary School had 1-5 students to test positive for COVID-19 during the period, leading to the quarantining of 10 students and one teacher/staff member.
» West Tallahatchie High School reported that 1-5 teachers/staff and 1-5 students had tested positive for the virus last week. Four students and two teachers/staff were quarantined.
» R.H. Bearden Elementary School reported no positive cases of COVID-19 among students or staff there but noted that one student and one teacher/staff member were quarantined because of exposure to someone who had tested positive.
Around Mississippi, a total of 803 schools in 74 counties reported to MSDH that 948 teachers/staff and 4,521 students were newly tested as positive for the virus last week alone, leading to the quarantining of 20,334 students and 1,463 employees.
Despite mask mandates in many school systems, including both Tallahatchie County districts, the delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread like wildfire.
Some particularly hard-hit school systems in the state have temporarily abandoned in-person instruction in favor of virtual learning, hoping to switch back as soon as circumstances allow.
The West Tallahatchie School District on Thursday and Friday began allowing parents and legal guardians of schoolchildren to check out technology devices that could be used in a distance learning environment, such as Chromebooks, iPads and wireless hot spots, plus chargers. For the time being, according to one unofficial source, the tech items will be used merely for classroom and homework purposes.
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MSDH continues to report a steady increase in the number of new infections in the state.
In its daily COVID-19 report on Thursday, MSDH revealed 4,807 new positive cases and 21 more deaths in the state due to the virus.
Hospitalizations in Mississippi for confirmed cases of COVID-19 totaled 1,660 Thursday, setting a new record for the largest number of virus patients requiring hospital care since the pandemic began.
A total of 457 hospital patients were in intensive care units while 324 of those required a ventilator to aid breathing.
Mississippi has logged 401,201 positive cases and 7,937 deaths since the first cases of COVID were reported in the state in March 2020.
Tallahatchie County has recorded 1,969 positive cases of the virus and 45 deaths since the first infection was reported on March 23, 2020.
State health officials continue to insist that vaccination remains the best defense against COVID-19.
During the period of July 20 through Aug. 16, MSDH noted, 98% of new COVID cases, 89% of related hospitalizations and 87% of deaths were among the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
Yet, as of Thursday’s report, MSDH indicated that only 37% of Mississippians had been fully vaccinated. In Tallahatchie County, 30% were fully vaccinated.
Tallahatchie General Hospital in Charleston continues to offer COVID-19 vaccine on an appointment-only basis. Call 662-647-8000 for more information.
On Wednesday, Aug. 25, staff from Delta Health Center of Mound Bayou will administer COVID-19 vaccine at the Tutwiler Community Education Center, 304 Hancock Ave., from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. For information, call 662-345-8393.
MSDH maintains a hotline, 1-877-978-6453, to answer questions about COVID-19 and vaccinations, including assisting with appointments. The hotline is open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily.
For the latest guidance and case updates for Mississippi, download the MS Ready app or visit healthyms.com/covid-19.
